In our throwaway modern society, the fight against the growing menace of plastic waste can seem an impossible one.

But one part of Wales is seeing a change in attitude against the scourge of plastic... and the return of milk in glass bottles.

Milk is being delivered to shops in the old fashioned glass pint bottles in the quiet coastal village of Aberporth in Ceredigion.

It has a campaign to be a plastic-free community and shops have been seen swapping plastic milk bottles for the traditional glass ones, with even plastic straws being replaced by paper ones in a local pub.

But the campaign is rapidly spreading to communities across West Wales.

The campaign, Plastic Free Aberporth, was launched in November as villagers grew increasingly concerned about the amount of plastic being washed up on the village’s beach.

A Carmarthen-based family dairy firm is among the milk suppliers for the village and said the eco-spark created in Aberporth was rapidly gaining momentum and had now reached other parts of south west Wales.

Angelo Dragone, of Nigel’s Dairy based on the outskirts of Carmarthen at Cwmffrwd said there was a thirst for milk in glass bottles - firstly from an environmental aspect and secondly for that pang of nostalgia - and the clatter of the white stuff in a cold glass bottle.

In fact, the whole campaign might just see the return of the milkman on our streets if it continues to gather pace.

Nigel's Dairy is seeing a surge in demand for glass milk bottles across west Wales (Image: Mike Walters)

Angelo, whose business has been suppling south and west Wales with dairy products for two decades said: “We were contacted by a shop in Aberporth that we supply with milk.

“That’s where this all started and it’s really gaining pace, the glass milk bottle is coming back and people really seem to want them on the shelves.”

He added: “So far six shops that we supply have now switched from plastic pints to glass pints and that’s just in the last week.

“We are seeing a big difference with communities coming together and supporting the anti-plastic campaign.

“Our Facebook page has been filled with people asking ‘where can you stock glass milk bottles where I live?’.

“We have even had people ask us for two litre glass bottle of milk. We can’t do that, though, imagine the weight?”

Nigel Dragone and his son Angelo say people cannot get enough of the white stuff poured from a traditional glass bottle, in terms of being eco-friendly and for nostalgia reasons (Image: Mike Walters)

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Looking at the interest in having milk in glass bottles, Angelo said: “It’s two-fold really, people are more aware of the importance of recycling and the reusable nature of the glass bottles.

“Also, there’s something about a glass milk bottle that perhaps harks back to people’s youth or days gone by.”

“People are telling their children ‘look at this, you haven’t seen a glass milk bottle’”

Angelo explained: “The way it works is that a shop takes delivery of the glass bottles and customers return them washed for collection by Nigel’s Dairy who then return them to their supplier - Cotteswold Dairy in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.”

They are then steam cleaned ready for fresh milk and back on the road to west Wales.

Shops across the area from Newcastle Emlyn, Brynaman, and Carmarthen to Swansea are now stocking the glass milk bottles.

“But we have also seen the milkmen we supply say that we have doubled their rounds with the interest so high.

“Who knows where this could lead? Milkmen could be returning and be a common sight again.”

“We have had 80 calls this week from shops asking if we can supply them with glass bottles.

“We are now delivering 1,200 bottles per day, six days a week.”

Nigel's Dairy are now delivering 1,200 glass bottles of milk per day, six days a week, with more shops asking to stock them (Image: Mike Walters)

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The London House Stores in Aberporth has had a growing number of requests from customers for re-usable glass milk bottles and it was then that they turned to the help of Angelo Dragone and his dad Nigel who has run the Carmarthen dairy for 20 years.

Owner of London House Stores, Mike Allen, said: “More and more people have started to want their milk in glass bottles and it is partly because of the effort to use less plastic and also the sense of nostalgia.”

“On a weekend we have doubled our pint sales since stocking the glass ones.”

The growth of plastic waste has spurred naturalist Sir David Attenborough to call for action over the problem facing us with plastic waste.

He said the experience of making the second series of BBC show Blue Planet II revealed the devastating threat posed to oceans by plastic.

Gail Tudor has said the efforts to using less plastic goods in Aberporth and West Wales has been hugely popular (Image: Gail Tudor)

Gail Tudor said beach clean ups in Ceredigion are coinciding with the drive to use less plastic (Image: Gail Tudor)

The timing of that programme, airing over the festive period, also fell at the right time for the Aberporth zero plastic campaign.

As Gail Tudor, at the helm of the Aberporth campaign, explains: “I was on a research vessel two months ago around the coast earlier and it opened my eyes to the problem of plastic on the environment and marine life.

“With what was featured on David Attenbrough’s series a few weeks ago, it all felt quite timely to kick off this campaign.

“It’s a huge problem and one we cannot solve just here in Aberporth but if every community does its bit then it will start a bigger ball rolling.”

Who knows where the drive towards a greener West Wales will end? But it’s certainly capturing the hearts and minds of communities.